Free, Safe Learning Websites for Kids

When you open Kinder Browser for the first time, the second page of setup lets you choose suggested sites to add. With an English (US) device, there are seven: PBS Kids, National Geographic Kids, Sesame Street, Scratch, Smithsonian, Time for Kids and HowStuffWorks. UK, Canadian and Australian English add local broadcasters such as CBeebies and BBC Bitesize, CBC Kids and TVOKids, or ABC Kids and ABC ME.

The list follows two rules: follow the sites that Apple’s Screen Time includes by default when you limit a child to approved websites only, and include Scratch, National Geographic Kids and Sesame Street in every language where they are available. In my developer interview, asked how I choose sites for each language, I said: “I pick sites that are popular in each language area.”

This article introduces free learning sites a child can use, some of which overlap with that list. Who runs each site, the cost and whether it shows ads are based on what each site showed as of October 25, 2026. Sites change, so please check for yourself before you hand one over.

What to look at when choosing a site

Before the list, here is what is worth checking.

Who runs it. Look at the copyright line at the bottom of the page or an “About” page. Sites run by governments, public bodies, nonprofits and public broadcasters have a clear purpose.

Cost and accounts. Can it be used for free, or does it assume sign-up or a subscription? If an account is needed, the parent should be the one to create it.

Ads and shopping links. Some free sites are funded by ads or merchandise. That is not wrong in itself, but if a child is using it alone, you want to know where ads appear.

Links to other sites. Videos may live on a separate video site, and materials on another domain. Check how far a child can go by following links.

Posting and comments. Sites where children can publish work or comment bring contact with people they don’t know.

Sites

Scratch

Scratch is a site for learning programming by snapping blocks together to make games and animations. It was developed at the MIT Media Lab in 2007, and since 2019 it has been run by the Scratch Foundation, a nonprofit. “Scratch is free for everyone,” says its About page.

Its main audience is ages 8 to 16. No account is needed just to make something, but saving projects online or sharing them requires one. Other users can comment on shared projects, and Scratch says a team of moderators looks after the community.

In the interview, asked how Kinder Browser started, I said: “When I let her use sites like Scratch and NatGeo, browsers like Safari were hard for her to operate, and it felt scary that she could go to other sites when I wasn’t watching.”

PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS is the children’s site of PBS, the US public broadcaster. It has games and videos based on its programmes, and it is free to use. You may see sponsor logos alongside some shows.

NASA Space Place

NASA Space Place is produced for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Its stated aim is to inspire upper-elementary-aged kids’ learning of space and Earth science, with material in English and Spanish and resources for parents and teachers.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is “to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere.” Its courses cover K-12 subjects and early college. For younger children, Khan Academy Kids is a separate free app for ages 2 to 8.

BBC Bitesize

If you are in the UK, BBC Bitesize from the BBC follows the UK curricula, with free learning resources organised by age and subject.

National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Kids has articles, quizzes and videos on animals, science and space, and is free to view.

Its terms of use and privacy policy link to The Walt Disney Company, and the page has ad slots and links to a merchandise shop and a magazine subscription. It is a fun site for children who read, but use it knowing that ads and shopping links are there.

Rough ages

Only as a guide: for preschoolers, sites built around a familiar programme, like PBS KIDS, are easy to start with, ideally with a parent nearby. Once a child reads, NASA Space Place and National Geographic Kids open up. Scratch’s main audience starts at about 8. Khan Academy covers school subjects, so it fits a child who already has schoolwork to follow.

Adding them to Kinder Browser

In Kinder Browser, your child opens the sites you have set as the home page and bookmarks. Within those sites, they can follow links freely. In the interview I explained: “I thought it was better for children to move freely within a site that has been allowed, so that is how it works.”

A link to a different site, though, is stopped with the message “External links are disabled”. If a site links out to YouTube or to pages on another domain, those links will not open. Add only the destinations you decide are fine to Whitelisted Pages in the parent page.

If a site moves to another page by itself, without a tap on a link, that page still opens.

For sites like Scratch that fix buttons to the bottom of the screen, Web App Mode, which hides the toolbar, helps. You can put its button on the left, centre or right. In the interview: “Some web apps like Scratch fix elements to the bottom of the page, so this is to work around them.”

About Kinder Browser

Kinder Browser is a children’s web browser for iPhone, iPad and Mac that I make. It is a one-time purchase, $9.99 in the US and ¥1,500 in Japan, with no in-app purchases, no subscription and no ads. It collects no data, browsing history included.

It blocks some ads on web pages, but not every ad disappears. When you add a site with ads, such as National Geographic Kids, assume some may still show.

The settings sit behind a parental gate. The default parental passcode is “0000”, so turn on Use CustomPIN and change it to your own number.

Asked in the interview what I hope the internet is for children, I said: “A place where they can reach the world. Kinder Browser exists so that even children can use the internet safely.” Choosing good sites to start with is the first step.

Getting Started with Kinder Browser covers the first setup, and Kinder Browser Tips has ideas for growing your list.